Residence Life: For ResLife staff to share ideas & encouragement

RA Group Interviews

2010-03-02T21:25:00.002-05:00

Its Resident Assistant Group Interview night at MVNU. This is by far the most enjoyable part of our interview process. We get to see our candidates in a more relaxed atmosphere. Its fun for the candidates and the staff, its also very funny at times especially this new activity involving string, rubber bands and Solo Party cups (this came to us by way of West Palm Beach, Florida).

Residential Recycling

2007-12-04T15:53:00.000-05:00

There are only a few more kinks to work out, but we will be hopefully have our extended recycling program introduced next week. Yes I know that this is the week before finals and there will be a lot going on, but this is will serve two purposes. First we will be able to catch a lot of the "end of the semester" trash that can be recycled, and second, this can be a quick introduction before Facility Services and Residence Life step up the recycling promotion once January Term begins.

If you think of any great ways to help promote recycling on campus, please share it with your fellow staff members.

Developing Relationships

2007-10-26T12:08:00.000-04:00

We are now at midterm of the Fall Semester and many of our new students have developed the friendships and social groups that they may keep for the next four years. I think that it is great that our freshmen are making friends, I am a little concerned that many of them may be a little too exclusive at this point of their time in college. I say this because I am already hearing from students who have decided on their apartment groups for next school year.

Although I have no specific research to prove the next point, I do believe limited friendships can be one of the biggest reasons why students decide not to return as student. Here are three reasons: first, I think that some students leave because our students are not reaching out to them and befriending them (especially obvious with our transfer students). Second, some students do not like the person they are become, because of their friendships; these students believe that they cannot pursue new relationships due to pressures from, or proximity to current friends and these students will leave campus and blame it on the school rather than hurt their friends. The third reason results from the changing nature of personalities and friendships; as students develop as individuals or they tend to draw closer to particular friends, and other friendships can become less significant; causing frustrated friends who sometimes leave the institution rather than develop new friendships.

As Residence Life staff we should be cognizant of the development of tight friendships, cliques, and even couples who tend to be isolated from their peers. Our job is to nurture relationship development and that should not end in September. Yes, our programming options and events can be used to expand student perspectives, intellectually and socially. However, this should also be the goal in informal settings, by taking time to introduce students to others in the lobby, the cafeteria, or other opportunities that develop. Leaders should take every opportunity to build stronger bonds with people and among people they lead. This is a practice we should develop now, and take with us beyond our time in Residence Life.

Imagine the relationships that could be developed if this was practices within our churches.

Biblical Leadership

2007-10-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

When most people think about Spirituality, leadership is not always the first thing that comes to mind. On second thought, this should not be the case since everything about who God is and who we are in God's eyes should be about leadership. God is the ultimate authority and God grants us authority here on Earth. Because of these two truthes, as believers, we should understand leadership, study leadership, and aspire to lead.

Here are some ideas about addressing leadership from a biblical perspective:

1. Bring residents together and make a list of various leaders in each of your lives. Encourage each resident to make a list of leaders that impact them and to pray for that list together and afterwards on a regular basis.

2. Have a group Bible study on a leader or various leaders in the Bible (ie. Nehemiah, Joseph, Jesus, Peter, Abraham, Joshua, Esther etc.).

3. Have a speaker come in to talk about the importance of Mentoring and Discipleship. Challenge each of your residents to cultivate these types of relationships with other students, faculty and staff.

4. Discuss the importance of godly leadership within a Christian marriage and family. How should a godly woman lead their family; how should a godly man lead
their family.

5. Have a prominent Christian leader in their field come in to talk about bringing their faith into the workplace. Have them discuss the value that their faith and scriptural truths have on them and their leadership.

6. Have a week (or month) that is devoted to servant leadership opportunities. Have residents look for ways to serve their fellow students or other people at MVNU or in a surrounding community.

7. Have someone come and talk to your residents about how to share their testimony in a way that focuses on God's work in their lives and gives Him the glory.

8. Have your residents do a spiritual gifts test or another type of strengths test that helps them understand how they can better serve the Kingdom.

9. Discuss education and knowledge and its value in christian leadership. Ask: What is God's opinion of an individual's education or the gaining of knowledge? When (if ever) do educational goals conflict with God's will?

10. I would like to see it this last topic can be discussed in the comment section of this blog: Discuss the current trend of how Christians are choosing not to serve in leadership roles. Is this biblical or is this rooted in some other philosophy? Talk about reasons why this may be happening and what impact will this have on ministry in general.

Questions for Leading.

2007-08-19T22:48:00.001-04:00

Leadership is a very broad concept (which I eluded to in an earlier post). What are your initial ideas when you hear the word leadership? What can you narrow down the concept of leadership to? What aspects of leadership do you enjoy the most? In what venues? About what topics?

Passive Leadership Programs

2007-07-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

The idea behind a passive program is that you find information on a subject or possibly present objects that could be easily figured out or interpreted, which could educate people through a single sighting or multiple sightings. For example if you want to do a passive program on healthy eating, you might put together a bulliton board with a variety of definitions regarding specific terms related to healthy eating (i.e. Trans Fats, Fiber, Calories etc.) with information on healty excercise, a food pyramid, and maybe some Q & A or other expert advice.

Here are some quick ideas for Passive Leadership programs:

1. Daily or Weekly Leadership Quotes.

2. A bulliton board with a variety of different leaders and their biographies. Look to do a variety of leaders and consider including Government leaders, Christian leaders, leaders that are visible Minorities, Recent leaders, Past leaders etc.

3. Read a book on leadership and write a summary of the book and include any numberical lists that might be interesting to read (i.e. John Maxwell's 21 Inrefutable Laws of Leadership or Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)

4. Put together a blank bulliton board with cut out letters that for your residents to write their favorite leadership quotes, or even who they look to as leaders.

5. Create a list of Bible verses that have to do with leadership or could be used to help become a strong leader. Print off this list and post it for people to see (rooms, apartments, bathrooms, or halls).

6. Create a cut out of a person's body and point lines to the various parts of the body that could help describe leadership qualities. Then on 3X5 cards write about these metaphic qualities (i.e. knees for constant prayer, feet for walking away from temptation, head for growing intellectually and making good choices etc.).

7. Search on the internet or talk with faculty and staff to find out their favorite books on leadership. Then you can either create a book list (say who recommended each book), consider finding out the Library's LOC number to include on this list to make it easier to find.

I hope this helps you think of how to present one of these ideas or maybe think of another thought. Remember if you have seen something or have thought of an idea that you would like to share, please reply.

Leadership Reduced // God is Green

2007-07-19T08:28:00.000-04:00

FROM: Travis Keller

Leadership is very complex. I have read several books on leadership along with attending conferences that include "leadership" break-out sessions. It is intriguing to read and hear all the different perspectives and ideas that surround the buzz-word topic. I have discovered that my own leadership is flawed if I do not experientially demonstrate any concept or behavior that I wish to communicate.

I have been accused lately of being a "tree-hugging-hippie" because I am a non-violent activist who has taken up reducing, reusing, and recycling. Sarah, Kyla, and I have bins in our kitchen area for the recycling of plastic, metal, cardboard, and paper. When a bin fills up I take the materials to the Knox County Recycling Center on Columbus Road. I hope my attempt to "live green" leads others to do the same.

As lovers of creation, the staff of Oakwood Hall is planning to initiate a large recycling campaign. Many automobile manufacturers and social organizations encourage people to "Live Green" by reducing oil usage and automobile emissions along with caring for streams, lakes, and rivers and preserving the natural habitat of creatures. I would contend that followers of Jesus should follow the lead of said associations not as conforming citizens but as worshipers of our Creator. God is green. He has entrusted humanity to care for ourselves and the rest of creation. We are to control our consumption and reuse our resources as stewards of Creation and as leaders.

May we reduce leading others to our own demonstration.
Live Green.

Leadership Programming

2007-07-18T20:21:00.000-04:00

Reslife Staff,

Last year our new programming model had a great start with many of our RAs planning and presenting a number of great programs. Next year should be an even better year for our programming plans, we want to learn from this past year to help in our planning and training.

One of the areas where our staff members had a tough time was choosing and presenting a 'Leadership' program. We are committed to developing Leaders and teaching Leadership, so next year instead of eliminating Leadership from our programming model, we want to develop a greater understanding of Leadership and how to plan for these events next year. So over the next month, I would like to talk about Leadership programming to get each of you thinking about all of you programs next year.

This week I would like to talk about "Responsible Citizenship".

Believe it or not Responsible Citizenship can be a great area to look for Leadership subjects. Here are just a few ideas to consider or to spark new ideas for programming for Leadership or other programming areas:

1. Getting involved in Student Government or the Student Newspaper to benefit MVNU and MVNU students.
2. Living a life of integrity by speaking honestly, not gossiping, or not cheating.
3. Not wasting or taking Cafeteria food (Ask Todd how much this cost Pioneer and eventually students).
4. Impacting people through volunteering.
5. Learning to use a schedule or day planner (Talk to Academic Support for help).
6. Responsible use of electricity on campus (how does this impact costs).
7. How can MVNU students become mentors (Youth ministries, Big Brothers/Sisters etc.).
8. How to be a successful student by being a respectful student (let me know if you want to talk about this one).
9. Good stewardship and fiscal responsibility for college students.
10. How college students can reduce, reuse and recycle at MVNU and in Mt. Vernon.

Please respond with ideas of you own, especially if you have ideas regarding number ten. Enjoy the rest of you summer and check back soon.

Extreme Makeover: Resumé Edition

2007-07-11T12:54:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I worked with my brother on his resumé. After a couple of hours of updates and editing I think that we were both pretty happy with the end result. This process gave me the idea for a great program for College Students who are beginning to look at their career search with resumé preparation.

There are a variety of ways this could be presented, but I envision having a student or two dig out an old resume and then a person experience with resumé preparation or someone that reviews a lot of resumé would pick it apart and build it up to become more attractive and readable. Along the way the presenter should explain the changes and offer suggestions that might assist the audience.

This could be a fun way to teach resumé preparation with a currently popular theme. The tough part would be finding ways to continue to implement the theme through the program. If you are interested in help with this type of program, talk to Elaine Blair our Director of Career Services.

Room Rush

2007-03-20T09:08:00.000-04:00

Every year the most anticipated day for Residence Life, after move in day (and for some when RA positions are announced), is Room Rush.

On April 4th, 2007 we will be holding our annual event where students can sign up in housing groups to be placed in their 2007-2008 housing assignments. Students can sign up in groups of 2, 4 or 6 and they can also indicate housing preferences.

Our staff tallies the number of academic credits for each group and figures out the average credits. Then groups are put in order and are placed into housing, based first on greatest number of credits and then on preferences.

Housing assignments are usually posted within two weeks of Room Rush. Posting day, to the surprise of some students, ends up being more anticipated than Room Rush. This is one day where the campus divides into two groups of people: those that like ResLife, and those that do not.

If you would like more information about Room Rush or Residence Life at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, please call us at 740-392-6868 ext. 4600.

Interviews, interviews, and still more interviews

2007-02-25T20:19:00.000-05:00

This week starts our annual interview marathon for next year's RA staff. We will be looking to hire students that will be strong leaders, good students, compassionate Christians, and selfless servants. This is usually a difficult yet enjoyable time. We love meeting new students, talking more personally with current RAs, and looking forward to what the Lord has planned for 2007-2008. We know that there is a lot of need for prayer over the next few weeks, so here are some of our requests:

1. Pray for peace for our candidates. This process can create a lot of nervousness and we know that it can be frustrating for students we have to turn down.

2. Pray that God will give us wisedom.

3. Pray for our collective patience. These four days can be long and monotonous for our staff and by the last day of individual interviews we are not alway at 100%. We want to give each student the attention and fairness that they deserve.

4. Pray that we can put together the best teams that can serve our residents in the best way possible.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. We know that this is an important task and we are excited about what is ahead.

Student Video

2007-01-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the Cedar guys and a Redwood guy putting their talents to good use:

Here is an idea for you?

2006-12-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

Some ideas for advertising ResLife events:

2006-11-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Chapel Slides. Send PowerPoint slides to Diana Tocheff or Abby Scott.

Posters. You can have an RD print a 11 X 17 color poster for 80 cents or 11 X 8.5 for 40 cents.

Email. If you want to learn how to send pictures or backgrounds on an HTML email, come by Student Development some day and ask Ryan. Make sure you add a catchy subject line.

Word of mouth. Always works well for smaller events, especially just before an event.

Word of many mouths. Communicate with other RAs and have them spread the word.

Announcement at another event. Attend another RA's event and ask them (in advance) if you can advertise your program.

Coupons for free food. Use the coupon as your promotion of time, date, place and theme.

Make Faculty Aware. Specifically get faculty involved with any educational programming that may relate to their subject matter, they can advertise for you and you may suggest that they offer extra credit to their students that attend.

Channel 24. This is a new option for advertising of campus events. This is open to ResLife events that are being advertised campuswide. Posted below is the policy for anyone interested in this option:

Channel 24 Policies

2006-11-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

1. Channel 24 will post PowerPoint slides that advertise student extra-curricular activities that are general in nature, applying to all MVNU students, and officially sponsored by Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

2. Only one slide may be posted per event.

3. Event sponsors desiring to advertise on Channel 24 must submit an appropriate PowerPoint slide at least 7 days before the event. Please email the completed slide as an attachment to Ryan.Schmitz@mvnu.edu.

4. Slides will be posted on channel 24 no earlier than 2 weeks in advance of the event, unless registration information is needed earlier than the event date.

5. Slides must be submitted in an MS PowerPoint format only. The Student Development office will not create PowerPoint slides or be expected to edit slides. The Student Development office reserves the right to edit the content of any slide submitted.

6. PowerPoint slides will run for 10 seconds only, so animation should be limited or not included on submitted slides.

7. A legible font, large enough to be viewed clearly, should be used on all slides. Avoid having too much writing on a slide; limit information to the most important details.

8. Backgrounds will not always transfer properly with the current software. Also, not all backgrounds submitted will be available for use on Channel 24.

9. It is the responsibility of the party submitting the slides to notice any mistake, or outdated slides, or if a slide is not on Channel 24 when it needs to be. Please notify Ryan.Schmitz@mvnu.edu about any corrections that need to be made.

PS 3conomics

2006-11-22T00:29:00.000-05:00

Note: I try not to double up on posts unless my personal post is about MVNU. So if you have already read this, no need to read it again, it is the same.

So by now most of us have heard about the crazy events that took place last Friday (November 17, 2006) with the Release of the Sony PlayStation 3. There was the guy that ran into a pole, the guy that got shot, the several robberies and don't forget there were several PS 3s that were sold for over $2,000 on Ebay.

Well you may not have heard the less dramatic, but equally interesting acts that happened throughout the country, including here in out-of-the-way Mount Vernon, Ohio.

It began a few days ahead of the release when a group of MVNU students started scouting out the local Wal-Mart Supercenter. They found out that there were going to be 6 PS 3s and 4 vouchers for additional PS 3s that were guarenteed within 3 weeks. They found out that the longest anyone every waited for anything at our Wal-Mart had been 12 hours.

They spoke with professors and received semi-official excuses, they had friends promise to bring them food and they planned to show up about 24 hours prior to the 11/17/06 12:00AM release date.

Of the 10 people waiting in line, 7 were MVNU students; here is where it shifts from a stunt to capitalism at its best: one student paid another student $50 to shift from a voucher to an actual PS 3 because he heard the voucher was for a better hard drive (60 gig instead of a 20 gig). Another student paid 2 student $200 each to wait in line for him so he could get the PS 3s without missing class or sleep. Finally a man came in on Thursday evening, right before the release and saw that he would not be able to get one of the first systems and he gave one of our students $1,000 cash for their spot in line.

The other six PS 3 systems are expected to be sold on line and should continue to fetch a nice chunk of change for the students that put in the Wal-Mart all-nighter. What an interesting society we live in.

Current PS3 Ebay listings

PS3 Shooting

Sen. John Edwards is a line jumper

PS3 Theft

Craig Weston running into flagpole

Post-Confrontation

2006-11-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

Question: "How are we helping students by ignoring or minimizing our responsibilities to ourselves, the institution, but mostly to the students choosing to violate a campus policy?"

Answer: "We aren't!" But relationships do not begin and end with confrontation.

We all know by now that one of the toughest parts of being an RA or even a ResLife Professional is when we need to confront someone about their behavior and their choices. We tend to want to avoid the confrontation or second-guess our opinions, actions or reactions, when we are simply doing our job by enforcing what is already known (most of the time). Most of us like the nicer side of Student Development: the relationships, the activities, the food and the fun.

An even bigger problem is when we put all of our time and effort into addressing problems and then focus on catching them again.

When a student makes a mistake it is important for correction to take place, but even more important is showing them that they are still important and that you still care.

A couple of good examples from MVNU:

A. The Maplewood and Elmwood staff have been intentional to reach out to any of their residents that are on social probation. They engage them in discussion, invite them to spend time with the staff and they make sure they understand they are important.

B. Lee Yowell tries to meet with many of the students who have received major discipline schedules from his office. Although this is done in a formal setting, he tries to make it more relaxed and informal by asking about the student's opinion of the process, adding humor, and asks questions about how things are going since the discipline occurred.

Here are some ideas for dealing with someone after any time of confrontation (large or small):
1. Respect their privacy; don't make them feel awkward in front of other people.
2. Don't bring up the issue very often; move on to new subjects.
3. Smile and say hi to them by name when passing each other.
4. Genuinely care about them and show them that.
5. If ever possible, invite them to participate in activities. Build a relationship beyond discipline.
6. Invite them to a meal.
7. Pray with them.
8. Even if they give you dirty looks or the silent treatment, don't give up on them, just work harder on the relationship and pray even harder.

Residence Life Programming Ideas

2006-10-26T12:36:00.000-04:00

Fall Semester Program Ideas

SEPTEMBER

Adult Literacy Awareness Month
Jazz Month
Library Card Sign-Up Month
National Chicken Month
National Piano Month
National School Success Month
Self-Improvement Month
National Cholesterol Education and Awareness Month Classical Music Month
International Visitor’s Month
National Honey Month
National Courtesy Month
National Rice Month
Women of Achievement Month
National Alcohol and Drug Treatment Month

Student Issues

New year adjustment
Getting to know your roommate/apartment-mates
Strong start on academics
Finances
Community service projects
Time management
Social involvement
Familiarization with Mount Vernon
Hall council involvement
Long-distance relationships
Fire safety
MVNU policies and procedures
Exploring your personal beliefs

OCTOBER

American Magazine Month
Computer Learning Month
Crime Prevention Month
Ending Hunger Month
Fire Prevention Month
Hunger Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Car Care Month
National Education Month
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
Polish-American Heritage Month
National Seafood Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Auto Battery Safety Month
Consumer Information Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Healthy Lung Month
International Book Fair Month
Vegetarian Awareness Month
Lock in Safety Month
National Breast Cancer Month
National Dessert Month
National Pasta Month
National Pizza Month
National Pork Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Student Issues

Alcohol issues
Roommate conflict/privacy
Health & fitness
Personal safety
Time conflicts between academics & social
Relationships – dating, non-dating, student withdrawal – adjustment
Friendships
Judicial process
Graduate school selection, preparation, and admissions
Disenchantment with school academics – midterms
Study skills
Homesickness (homecoming)
Job panic for mid-year grads
Group identity issues
Financial stress
Involvement opportunities
Fall Parties

NOVEMBER

Good Nutrition Month
National Diabetes Month
National Epilepsy Awareness Month
Religion & Philosophy Books Month
Latino American Month
Peanut Butter Lover’s Month
Native American Heritage Month
International Creative Child & Adult Month

Student Issues

Finals/grades
Changing relationships
Friends from home
Significant others
Dealing with parents
Time management conflicts
Roommate problems – short tempers
Winter Break depression
Results of procrastination
Social apathy
Problems related to alcohol

Spring Semester Program Ideas

JANUARY

Crime Stoppers Month
Soup Month
Volunteer Blood Donor Month
National Eye Care Month
Hot Tea Month
Oatmeal Month

Student Issues

Academic Revival
Post-holiday depression
Roommate relationships
Leadership
Para-professional recruitment
Family loss / stress
Welcoming of new residents
Weight gain
Money problems

February

African American History Month
Canned Food Month
World Understanding Month
Creative Romance Month
National Blah-Buster Month
Humpback Whales Awareness Month
International Boost Your Self-Esteem Month
American History Month
American Heart Month
Black History Month
National Snack Food Month
National Weddings Month

Student Issues

Dad’s Weekend
Summer job hunting
Graduation planning
Cleanliness in common areas
Living arrangements for fall
Tutoring services
Race issues
Dating
Alcohol and relationships
Dealing with noise
Where to study

MARCH

American Red Cross Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Peanut Month Irish-American Heritage Month
National Nutrition Month
National Women’s History

Student Issues

Safe spring break
Travel tips
Goal-setting
Choosing a major
Impending crises for seniors
What was/is my education worth?
Did I choose the wrong major?
Job interview preparation
Resume writing
Resume building
Summer job hunting
Earning money for spring break

APRIL

Keep America Beautiful Month
Listening Awareness Month
Multicultural Communication Month
National Recycling Month
Actors Appreciation Month
Alcohol Awareness Month
National Anxiety Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month
Stress Awareness Month

Student Issues

Outdoor resources
Bike trail
Hiking
Modesting issues (warmer weather)
Financial strain affecting social life
Time management
Major selection
Illness due to weather changes
Senioritis

MAY

Better Sleep Month
Electrical Safety Month
Mental Health Month
National Barbecue Month
National Hamburger Month
National Egg Month
National High Blood Pressure Month
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Revise Your Work Schedule Month
National Sasquatch Month
National Asparagus Month
National Bike Month
National Mime Month
National Physical Fitness
National Photo Month
Sports Month
National Strawberry Month
Personal History Awareness
Cinco De Mayo (Mexico) Month
National Salad Month

Student Issues

Year end check out procedures
Finals pressure
Going home for the summer
Spring health and fitness
Finishing strong with academics
Senior/Summer job panic

JUNE

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Month
Fireworks Safety Month
National Accordion Awareness Month
National Drive Safe Month
National Pest Control Month
Black Music Month
Tony Award Month
June Dairy Month
Youth Suicide Prevention Month
Zoo & Aquarium Month

The information used on this page was found at http://www.oneonta.edu/development/reslife/pages/prog_social.asp

Doppleganger

2006-10-16T23:42:00.000-04:00

We had FNL at MVNU this past week and here is one of the videos made by some of the students.

Good job guys!

RA Caption Contest

2006-08-29T18:10:00.000-04:00

"Its amazing we actually caught someone cleaning the bathroom."

"Is this an 'A', 'B', or 'C' Fire Extinguisher?"

1. "If I showed this to my roommate, I wonder if the Director of ResLife would count this as an Educational Program."

2. Cypress' annual preparation for TWIRP Week.

"How am I supposed to find my future wife if I can't get on my Facebook?"

Next year's RA Retreat plans.

The state school version of the "Straw Game".

Summer 2006 Update

2006-07-26T14:24:00.000-04:00

RAs,

I know that many of you are excited about returning to campus, but I wanted to let you know about some of the updates taking place on campus.

Cedar: The two large trees (Pod trees) have been removed and make that area look so much nicer.

Birch & Rosewood: New trash cans have been added for the grills. These cans are not for trash, but for discarding charcoal remains.

Galloway: Lobby is being painted

Pioneer: Old furniture has been removed from the study rooms

Maplewood & Elmwood: Some apartments are receiving new windows

PSU: A new outdoor patio is being put in outside the 586

Galloway and Pioneer: Carpet is being added to Galloway 1E and Pioneer 2N

Thorne Library: New expansion being added to lower south-east corner of the building (Depicted below).

Enjoy the rest of your time with your friends and family. We look forward to having you return on the Friday the 25th of August. Please contact your RD if you have any questions about arriving back at MVNU.

Ryan

The Kellers are here.

2006-07-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone, I hope that you are enjoying the summer. Things are going well on campus, we have had 3 orientations and have found housing for over 300 first time freshmen with more to come, and there is a large group of transfer student also assigned. Travis and Sarah Keller have completed the first leg of their move and are planning to be completely moved in next week.

Just to let the RAs know what the next month holds for us: the RDs and I will be hitting the ground running starting August 3rd, we will be attending a conference at Grace College in Indiana and following that up with Residence Life Planning until the 16th of August. Your RDs will be in contact with you, but they will be pretty busy during that time, so leave messages if you want to get in touch with them.

Also RAs, you should plan on returning to MVNU on Friday August 25th (unless your RD specifies an earlier time) because we will be going camping at the MVNU Wood on August 26-27. We will be sleeping in tents, so come prepared with sleeping bags and clothes that can get dirty. So get some rest before you come back to school, because we are going to have a lot of fun, but it will be very busy as well.

Have a great week!

Ryan Schmitz

Blast & Summer Orientations

2006-06-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

I hope that your summer vacation is going well. This week we will be hosting hundreds of teenagers from across Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia on campus for Blast. I don't know if I have ever been on campus for Blast before, so this will be an adventure.

After Blast we will have our first Summer Orientation. I wanted to invite any 2006-07 RAs that are available to pay us a visit to come and join us on the following dates for any or all of the Orientations:

Friday & Saturday June 23-24 (Biggest Orientation)
Thursday & Friday June 29-30
Friday & Saturday July 7-8

We will be meeting many new students and their families and we want you to feel free to befriend them and answer any questions they might have. Please email me if you are interested (we can house you if you bring your own bedding).

Remember Sonya Burrell in prayer as she serves in Africa this summer, she left today.

Let us know of any interesting experiences you have over the break. Take care we can't wait for your return!

- Ryan

Two Thumbs Up For Blogging

2006-05-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

The long anticipated summer break is finally here and I want to use this blog to let you know about any news you are missing while you are away for the summer. We will also let you know what to expect next year, any news about our staff and provide you with ideas that will start you thinking about next year.

Continue to check the blog through the summer and please reply to often and if you have any ideas for posts let me know and I'll add you as a contributor.

Please start praying the MVNU staff as we prepare for the new freshman class. The Summer orientations are scheduled for June 23-24, June 29-30 and July 7-8.

Student Development as a Career

2006-03-03T16:06:00.000-05:00

Are you struggling with what to do after you graduate? Are you wondering what you are qualified for when we tell you “its time to leave MVNU”? Well one field that I never knew about until I was a sophomore in college was to work in College Student Development.

The field is not quite as narrow as it might seem: RD and a Director of ResLife. There are actually quite a few areas out there that you may want to look at:

Campus Recreation & Intramurals
Judicial Affairs
Greek Life
Chaplain
Campus Safety
Community Life
Director of Housing
Outdoor Education
Student Health Services
Diversity
Career Development
Events Coordinator
Leadership Development
International Student
Coordinator for First Year Education
Counseling

This is just one segment of Higher Education. Working is Higher Education is both fun and rewarding. It is a ministry, a positive work setting, plenty of variety, there is a lot of room for advancement, and it can be a very stable working environment compared with most other fields. If you would like to learn more about this field, please talk with any of our MVNU Student Development staff and ask us for more information or what you can do to get started.

Here are a few of the websites to look for positions in Higher Education (Some will be links on this site permanently):

http://www.cccu.org/career/ns_career.asp - Various jobs at Christian schools

http://www.acsdhome.org/placement.htm - Student Development jobs at Christian schools
- ACSD Conference in Indiana at the beginning of June where a lot of schools will do their hiring

http://www.higheredjobs.com/ - Various jobs at mostly secular schools (public and private)

http://www.residentassistant.com/jobs/index.htm - A few Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://jobslink.naspa.org/search.cfm - More Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://placement.myacpa.org/ongoing/admin/employers.cfm?cfid=568951&cftoken=91402598 - More Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://www.nacac.com/classifieds2.cfm?catid=2 - Admissions positions

http://www.naccap.org/membership/careers/ - Christian school admissions positions

http://nirsa.jobcontrolcenter.com/search/results/ - Recreation and Intramurals jobs
http://www.acuho.ohio-state.edu/jobs/ - More secular school housing related jobs

2006-02-09T09:44:00.000-05:00

So incase you haven't heard yet, I'm changing offices. This is taking a little bit longer than expected because I have to determine what to keep and what to throw away. On top of that I am finding all sorts of funny old documents from years gone by. My favorite so far is the 1974-75 Student Handbook. If you think the rules at MVNU in 2006 are tough, here are a few examples of policies from that era:

Residence
The Following students shall not be allowed to reside in the College dormitories, without special permission from the Director of Student Services (Development):
a. students who are married
b. students thirty-years of age or older
c. student who have been married

Dress Standards
Sunbathing is allowed only in the designated areas fenced in behind each dormitory. Shoes must be worn at all times outside of dormitories

Shorts, other than those approved for athletic participation, are not acceptable for wear at any time while enrolled at MVNC.

Women: Pantsuits and dress slacks are not to be worn to church services. However, since chapel is a part of the regular college-day activities, they are acceptable there, except when one is scheduled to be a platform participant in the service.

Men: Blue jeans, overalls, and other attire contributing to a sloppy appearance are not considered in good taste for classroom and cafeteria wear.

Weekends
All campus students are required to remain on campus for the weekends when special religious emphasis are planned.

All freshmen are required to stay on campus for the first five (5) weekends of the Fall Term.

Students will be allowed to go home with a friend or friends, unless forbidden by parents at the beginning of the year. Female students will not be allowed to go home with male students (or vise versa) without parental approval.

Marriage
Students who become married during the school year must have a letter of permission from parents or guardians of both individuals and the approval of the college president.

Lounges
A deskworker or other supervisory person will be authorized to maintain the proper atmosphere by prohibiting the following:
-boisterous activity
-moving furniture without permission
-putting feet on furniture
-reclining on the couches or floors
-using "playing cards"
-inappropriate social deportment (I think this mean "making out")

Looking for a place to pray, the handbook suggests the following:
the dorm prayer rooms, or down by the creek (aren't you glad we have the chapel now?)

Chapel
Each student is expected to attend every chapel service; there are no excused absences. Each student will be allowed up to eight (8) absences each (semester) and (2) in the January (term), for reasons of illness and emergency.

In 1974 there was a disciplinary action called "Campusing" or a "Campusment", which looks like:
1. During "campusment" period, you are not allowed to leave the campus at any time without special permission from the Director of Student Services (Development). This does not, of course, include church services and prayer meeting; you will be allowed to attend church off campus during regularly scheduled church service times, after checking out with the Head Resident Counselor (RD).
Doctor's appointments made prior to the imposition of the campus may be kept, after informing the Head Resident Counselor (RD).
On-campus curricular assignments and responsibilities have priority over the specific requirements of the "campus" and will be allowed, after clearing it with the Head Resident Counselor (RD). This must not be mis-used, or it will become "an increased offense". Off-campus curricular involvement must have the expressed permission of the Director of Student Services (Development).
Work on campus will be allowed, except for the hours you are to be in your room. Work off campus will be forfeited, unless special arrangements are made with the Office of Student Services and the Head Resident Counselor (RD).

2. You must spend the period from 8:00 p.m. each (evening) to 7:30 a.m. the following morning in your room Monday through Thursday, except for stated prayer meeting times; also, from 9:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During this time, you must either be in your room with the door closed, or in your wing bathroom. Dorm lobbies and halls are off-limits. Unnecessary noise will be considered "an increased offense". You will be allowed to receive telephone calls during this time only from off-campus callers.

3. During the time of you "campus", you are excluded from all extra-curricular activities of the college. This includes intramural and inter-collegiate athletics, student government functions, faculty committee assignments, and any official representation of the college.

4. During the time of your "campus", your behavior must be circumspect and beyond suspicion. Further infractions, even minor ones, will be dealt with in increasingly stringent ways.

I don't thing that we will be adding this to any discipline contracts any time soon, but it is interesting to the changes over the last 30 years, it was equally interesting to see what stayed the same. I don't know what things at MVNU will look like in 2036, but it is funny to think that they may someday look back at our current policies and chuckle.

2006-02-03T12:26:00.000-05:00

RA Retreat Pictures, January 2006

2006-02-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

How can I help with RA Recruitement?

We are in the process of recruiting our RA staff for the 2006-07 school year and I thought that we could utilize our current staff to recruit next year's staff. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Encourage those students that you know who would make a great RA to apply.

2. Discourage the students that you know would not make good RAs from applying.

3. Talk about your experiences as an RA with student who might be interested in applying.

4. Announce the information meeting (February 2nd at 7pm in the Cafe) and the application deadline to your residents (Make a sign).

5. Say to a person specifically: "I think that you would make a good RA in ________ living area".

6. Have one of your residents help you to plan a program, so they can see what that would be like, plus you can get some help.

7. Work with other RAs and your RD to work together to recruit specifc students.

8. Be a great RA and reach out to students in your area. This is the best way that I know to get other people interested in becoming an RA. People want to emulate they people that have influenced their lives for the better.

We count on you to help us build up our future staff, another way you can help us is by being honest on the recommendation forms that the people applying to become RAs will be asking you to fill out. Thanks again for all of your help.

2006-01-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

Programming Using Cable TV

When MVNU decided to wire Cable TV into each of your apartments and dorm rooms, there were concerns voiced about how it may weaken community. Here is a list of some ideas you can use the Cable to help build community. Please add your own ideas in the comment section.

1. Have a weekly gathering for a popular TV show (like LOST, The Office, The Bachelor, 24, The Apprentice, Survivor etc.) in your room, if it gets too big meet in the lobby.

2. Be aware of any Classic TV Marathons that maybe scheduled, then plan an all-nighter in the lobby or your room.

3. Have a get together during an Award show and have your residents dress up in fancy clothes just like the celebrities. Add a red carpet and interviews for true authenticity (Courtesy of J. Buch)

4. Record a movie that was originally rated R that has been censored for TV and show it to your residents. Follow that up with a discussion. Some ideas are discuss the content in Rated R movies, censorship, Hollywood's impact on culture, or discuss a moral dilemma from the film. Talk to your RD before you do this to make sure they are aware of your plans.

5. Have an educational program where you watch a Major Political event (State of the Union, Senate hearings, C-SPAN) or Election Results. Have a professor present to discuss the impact of the results and to take questions from your residents.

6. Promote an Athletic event that is being televised as an educational program for student who would like to learn more about a sport and not sound silly asking questions. Have some “experts” on hand to answer questions.

7. For the upcoming Winter Olympics (Feb. 10-26 on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC) keep a medal count Poster on a bulletin board or in your lobby. Find information online about the rules and history of the events and post them up in your areas. Promote the big events like Figure Skating, Hockey, and of course Curling.

2006-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the MVNU Residence Life Blog

Our staff would like to provide this blog as a resource to our entire staff for ideas, encouragement, and to inform everyone about things that have happened and things to come. Please be constructive when commenting and be respectful to each other. Remember this is a public website and we all represent MVNU. Please direct any questions or concerns to Ryan Schmitz via email.